Memory is a fleeting moment
by fEmAleNoMad
Summary: In hindsight, Sirius should have known something was off about the new student. But her carefree attitude, her off-kilter sense of humor and her intense, knowing eyes drew him in. Mostly he'd wanted to find a rebound for James, but she became a part of their lives. And left just as easily as she had arrived
1. Chapter 1

In hindsight, Sirius should have guessed that something was wrong about Louisa. In the years after her disappearance, he had always assumed she had told him the truth and he believed her. Yet, as he spent the hours lying on the stone floor of his cell in Azkaban, blaming himself for James and Lily's death, he'd sometimes, briefly, remember her.

Sometimes it was her smile, sometimes it was that way she'd wrinkle her nose in disgust, or her off-color jokes.

But the more he thought about it, the more out of place she seemed. She started Hogwarts in her Seventh year, and left their lives before NEWTS. No one had ever done so before, but it was never questioned. She just showed up on the first day of classes, as if she had emerged from the ground like a Mandrake.

Of course he had more pressing matters to attend to.

"What do you mean you lost it?" Sirius hissed. He covered his face with his textbook as he leaned over. Peter at least had the decency to look ashamed.

"I don't know, Pads. Filch just caught me with the map. I barely had time to close the charms before he confiscated it. He wasn't even supposed to be patrolling near the kitchens at that time, someone must have tipped him off." Peter whispered anxiously.

Sirius swore. James gently shoved him to keep it together. Even if it was History of Magic, they couldn't be too obvious. Remus was listening in, but he didn't provide any input as he was still taking notes.

Sirius gave him a glare, and James sent a rude gesture, causing him to laugh. He shook his head and sighed.

"It'll take us months to make a new one," Sirius grumbled.

"It's not like we need it anymore," James interjected. "We know the castle well enough, and by now we can tell if someone's nearby. And if it comes to it, we always have a way out."

"Speak for yourself," Remus replied, still focused on the droning ghost. "Though you'd be a bit too obvious if you brought Prongs out for a visit in the castle."

James rolled his eyes. "Like you'd ever need to worry, Prefect."

"You can't really use that as a pejorative anymore, Head Boy," Remus teased.

"Can you please be quiet? Some of us are trying to pay attention."

Sirius turned to the voice behind him and snickered. "Aren't you already ahead on the material, Evans? Or are you slacking off?"

James shushed him. He turned to Lily and gave a weak smile, which she ignored. "Sorry Evans, we'll keep it down, alright?"

Lily gave him her usual look of exasperation and continued to take notes.

"So no luck with Evans? You think she'd ease up on you now that she knows you're capable enough to be Head Boy." Sirius whispered.

James shook his head. "We're cordial, but I can't seem to change her mind. And if I haven't made any progress yet, maybe I never will," he replied dejectedly.

"Ah, don't be like that. I think you just need to shift focus. Find a new girl to hopelessly admire," Sirius teased.

"Oh? Who do you have in mind?" James asked, his interest piqued.

Sirius scanned the room, and for a moment their eyes met. It was brief, but he could feel the pull of her magic, and a look of recognition, and perhaps interest, in her eyes. They were greenish gold, almost hazel. His breath hitched. She noticed, and quickly turned away, frantically scribbling away on her quill. "Her," he declared.

James looked over curiously. "New girl? Well, she's not bad looking, though I'm not sure how I feel about going after another redhead."

"This ones got freckles," Peter interrupted. "You know what they say about girls with freckles."

Neither of them knew, but Peter didn't answer, so they assumed he didn't know as well.

After class, Sirius caught up with the new girl as she was putting away her things, he dragged James along to make a good first impression. Peter followed them, probably to take the piss out of them when they inevitably struck out. Remus wished them well, but decided he didn't want to be a part of 'harassing the poor girl' and went to lunch.

"I believe we haven't had the pleasure of introducing ourselves. My name Sirius Black, and this handsome fellow is James Potter. Oh, and that's Peter Pettigrew."

"Shove off!" Peter shouted. Sirius laughed.

The new girl tensed up, and Sirius stepped back. Perhaps they'd have to be a bit more careful with her.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Louisa, though everyone calls me Lou." She replied nervously.

"They call you Loo?" James joked.

"Actually, they used to call me Lulu, but I hated that. This is more of a compromise," she added wryly.

"Do you have a surname? Or is it just Lulu?" Sirius asked.

"It's Pruitt," she replied quickly. "No relation to the Prewetts though, just a similar name."

Sirius nodded. "Fair enough. Do you want to walk with us to lunch? You could sit with us."

Louisa bit her lip and looked at the three of them. "I'm not sure I should."

"I can assure you, you have nothing to worry about," Peter replied. "We're harmless. Or at least I am, not sure about those two."

"Oi!" Sirius shouted. "I'm quite the gentleman, thank you very much. Though I'm sure you might have heard otherwise," he winked.

"I haven't, actually. My family moved here from Hong Kong. I transferred here to complete my schooling."

The boys raised their eyebrows at that. It would be refreshing talking to someone who didn't know about his family, or his recent disowning.

"So did you attend Mahoutokoro?" James asked.

Louisa's eyes widened in panic. Were they that terrifying to the poor girl?

"No, I went to the school on the Mainland, in Sichuan," she replied.

"Oh, I've heard of it. It must have been difficult, you probably were the only English girl there," James said sympathetically.

"Actually, there are a few other expats kids from Hong Kong and Singapore, so I wasn't unique. And the students were very friendly. Plus, I had my brothers with me."

"They didn't join you here?" James asked.

She looked pained at the mention of them. Sirius made a mental note to have a word with Prongs about being so nosy.

"No. They've graduated. They decided to stay back, I'm stuck here." Louisa replied sadly.

"It's not so bad here," Sirius reassured her. "You've got us."

"And once you become our friend, we're pretty hard to shake off," James added.

"You didn't ask if she wanted to be our friend in the first place," Peter interrupted.

"I mean, I'd like to, if you'd have me," Louisa declared. "I've heard quite a bit about the infamous Marauders and I've wanted to get to know all of you since I've got here."

James wrapped his arm around her shoulder. That's a good sign. "Ask and you shall receive. Fair warning though, there will be a lot of talk of Quidditch."

Louisa smiled. "Oh don't worry, I love Quidditch."

Off to a great start, Lily hated it.

James looked interested. "Do you play? We're holding tryouts this week and I could use a new Chaser."

Louisa smiled coyly. "Oh, I dabble."

—-

Louisa flew circles around the other participants on tryouts. She knew their plays as if she'd been on the team for years, and intercepted the quaffle flawlessly.

Sirius usually joined James to help test out potential players for tryouts- even though he still refused to try out Sirius's idea of whacking a few bludgers at them to simulate in-game conditions.

She even perfected a complex fakeout interception that involved passing the quaffle to another player, diving underneath the opponent, catching it, and throwing the quaffle to a completely different player.

"What was that? That was brilliant!" Sirius shouted once they dismounted back on the ground.

Louisa looked proud of herself. "Oh, that's a move that's well known where I'm from, took me years to get it right. Impressed my mum when I could steal the quaffle from under her."

"Well needless to say, you're on the team," James declared. "Though I'll still have to post the results as a formality.

"You definitely have to show me how you did that sometime," Sirius urged.

"How about later tonight?" Louisa suggested.

"Oh?" James grinned. "What about curfew?"

Louisa smirked. "What about it?"

—

Louisa found her way into their lives almost instantly, and became a part of their circle as if she had always been there. She was there for class, mealtimes, Quidditch practice, and even when they were just loafing on their down time. It seems she and James had connected- when they'd talk, it there was an undeniable spark of familiarity as they easily joked and talked in low hushed murmurs. When their eyes met, it was in some conspiratorial manner. Sirius wondered if he should be threatened, but for once he was beginning to relax. Finally James could get over Lily, and he didn't mind having Louisa around. She at least knew how to take a joke, and on a few occasions she could dish it out. The less said about her pranks on him, the better. Of course, there was some trepidation from Remus, who was worried she would find out about his secret, but she seemed completely oblivious, especially as the month was drawing to a close and Remus was getting moodier.

They were sitting in the Common Room late at night. Most of the other students had headed to bed, but the five of them finally were able to reclaim the couch. James was leaning against the arm, his own arm supporting his face as he nodded off into his Defense textbook. Sirius was lying supine, languidly reading his Herbology textbook. Louisa sat on the floor leaning against James's legs, dozing off with the Quibbler in her hand. Peter and Remus sat on the floor by the coffee table revising their Potions essays.

"I don't get it, why would monkfish liver act as a catalyst for the salamander scales?" Remus asked in frustration.

"Because the enzymes of the fish lower the activation energy allowing the reaction to happen faster, and because it's has water mana, it balances out the fire element," Peter replied. "Come on, Moony. It's not that hard, just copy my essay and we can go to bed."

"But wouldn't it raise the activation energy if it's making the reaction go faster?" Remus asked.

"No, that's the opposite of what it does. Just copy it, and we can go over it in the morning," Peter mumbled irritably.

"But if I copy from you, I'll never learn," Remus snapped. Remus grabbed his quill to write the last sentence on his essay, only for it to snap, leaving a large blob of ink on the parchment.

"Bugger!" Remus shouted, throwing his quill across the room. "I'll never be able to make this up in time. I'm already behind."

"Calm down Remus," Sirius replied lazily. "You're just getting a bit bothered from your furry little problem. Talk to Sluggy and he'll give you an extension."

"Sirius!" Remus glared. He subtly gestured his head to Louisa. "Not the time."

Louisa it seems, had fallen asleep, resting her head against James's knee.

"Even so, it would do you some good Sirius, to remember to be more careful," Remus growled. "Unless you already forgot what happened Last term."

Sirius glowered at him. James shifted uncomfortably, closing his book. As he moved his legs onto the couch, Louisa toppled onto the floor.

Remus angrily shoved his things into his bag. "I'm tired, I'm going to go to bed."

Peter looked at his two sulking friends, and back at Remus.

"I'll stay here, but I'll see you later." Peter replied.

Remus huffed. "Oh by all means, don't go on my account. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Teddy." Louisa mumbled, cuddling the carpet.

Remus stopped in his tracks, Peter snickered.

"Looks like you have a new nickname," Sirius teased.

"I wonder why she'd pick that one," Remus mumbled anxiously.

"Probably because you're a big softie," James replied. "She doesn't know."

"She can't know, Prongs. About any of us." Remus whispered.

"We'll have to tell her sometime," James argued. "Not now, but eventually."

"We barely know this girl," Remus hissed. "Just because you fancy her doesn't mean we can trust her."

James looked stricken. "I don't...fancy her. I don't know, there's just something about her. It's like I know her, but I don't know how. But I think we can trust her."

"Well it's not only your life on the line of your wrong, it's all of ours."

—-

In the week following the full moon, Remus found vials of pain potion and Dreamless sleep by his bed, and bars of chocolate.

It was nice to have extras, Madam Pomfrey wouldn't allow him to manage his pain before transformation, and it made it hard to focus in class.

The morning after his transformation, he woke up in the Hospital Wing to find a small teddy bear next to his bed.

Tied to its arm was note:

_This changes nothing. I will always be there for you._

From then on, there was no question. Louisa was here to stay.


	2. Chapter 2

Sirius tended to let his mind wander when he was bored, and it never lead to pleasant thoughts.

Such as the times he would walk by his brother between classes, and he would look through him, as if he were a ghost.

Or whether his parents had ever loved him, or if he just an investment in the family legacy.

Or whether he should give up on his endeavor to help Prongs get a girl and just go up to Louisa and give her a snog.

Sirius would snap out of it by that point. He didn't really think of her in that way, he was probably just a bit frustrated. And she did smell nice as she would lean close to him in class, or when she'd rest her legs on his lap as they sat in the Common Room couches, or even the faintest whiff of the smell of her skin as she challenged him to a foot race from the Quidditch pitch back to the castle.

Louisa's laughter cut through his reverie. James has recounted a particularly funny story about how someone was spreading hate propaganda, but they'd sabotaged the posters.

"So you really enchanted them to show Voldemort roller skating?" Louisa giggled.

She was sitting on James's bed on her back, while James was sitting up. The rest of them were on their own beds. Peter was rummaging through his trunk since he'd forgotten where he'd kept his backup ink bottle, again. He flinched at the casual use of his name. Remus raised an eyebrow. Evidently the taboo wasn't as well known outside of Britain.

James gave a lopsided grin, "You never know, maybe he has a hidden talent for it."

"I bet. Though I'm sure it would be difficult to get the scuff marks off the Malfoy's ballroom." Louisa responded.

"That's a pretty bold accusation without proof," Sirius added wryly. For a foreigner, she certainly knew more about Pureblood politics than she was letting on.

Louisa rolled her eyes. "But it's true, isn't it?"

Sirius shrugged. "I wouldn't know."

Louisa rolled over onto her side to face James, resting her head on her right arm. "Have you ever been roller skating?"

"I can't say I have, it's not that well known among the Wizarding types." James replied.

"Then we should go," Louisa declared, sitting up. "Next Hogsmeade weekend we could apparate to Edinburgh, there's a roller disco nearby I've been meaning to try out."

James blinked. "Just us two?"

Louisa laughed. "Well I was thinking all of us, but if you want it to be just us, I don't mind."

James looked over at Sirius for advice, and all he could do to stop himself from smacking the poor sod for his cluelessness was to mouth 'do it' - If this wasn't a hint for a date, nothing was.

James coughed. "Alright, sounds good. We'll meet outside Zonko's."

Louisa smirked. "I'd forgotten about Zonko's. Maybe we could nip in for a bit? I'd like to see if it's worth the hype."

James's eyes sparked as he remembered some of the schemes they had gotten into in their early days. "The stuff itself isn't that great, it's what you do with it."

He continued on with a story from First Year, one of their first pranks on Snivellus, and Sirius found himself drifting off again.

—

Hogsmeade weekend arrived, and it was time to head down to the village. The last head count had been checked off, and the students had formed a queue outside the entrance.

James packed a bag of Muggle clothes that he shrunk and placed in his pocket.

"I don't know how you're even contemplating this, James," Remus mumbled. "You can't leave the city limits, you're Head Boy. If you are caught…"

"Big If, Moony," James teased. "Besides, it might be fun to spend the day with Lou."

"You spend everyday with her," Peter chided.

James scoffed. "I mean alone with her, right? I don't need you lot cramping my style."

As Peter and Remus departed, Lily swiftly strutted towards the group and gently tapped James on the shoulder.

"James, it's our turn to chaperone the trip." Lily stated in a matter of fact manner.

James frowned. "I thought we weren't until next month."

"The Slytherin prefects that we're supposed to chaperone bailed out, and Kettleburn had to be hospitalized, again," Lily sighed. "So I'm afraid we're the last resort."

"I would love to help, but I did have plans for this afternoon," James protested.

"James, are you Head Boy or not?" Lily scolded.

James was about to argue, but instead slumped his shoulders. "I'll be there. I just need to take care of a few things."

Lily gave him a pointed look. "Well, don't dawdle. I'll be at the Broomsticks."

James gave an annoyed wave. Once she was out of earshot, he swore.

"Blast! What am I going to do? Louisa's going to be so disappointed." James muttered.

"You could always reschedule," Sirius noted.

James shook his head. "No, we'll need to ramp up practice for the semifinals, and I'll have to start monitoring study sessions for exams. This really was my last free weekend."

Sirius tutted. "Though break, mate. Maybe you could let her know when you get to the village?"

James was struck by a wave of inspiration. Sirius could see it in his eyes. It was usually not a good sign.

"Or, you could go." James suggested triumphantly.

Sirius felt his cheeks flush and tried to suppress it. He was not some blushing schoolgirl for gods sakes!

"I can't go!" Sirius replied. "Wasn't the whole point to get over Evans? You can't really do that if you're not there."

James rolled his eyes. "Well, I certainly can't go. And maybe I don't want to be over Lily. Not yet, anyway. Lou's a nice girl, but it's still too soon for me. And I see how you look at her. Go for it, Padfoot."

"James…" Sirius protested.

"Go on! We're late as it is." James shouted.

He practically dragged Sirius down to the village and pushed him in front of the entrance to the joke shop, where Louisa was waiting, with a small bag.

She raised an eyebrow at the two of them. "I thought you were going to be a no show."

"Change of plans," James replied cheerfully. "Duty calls, so I may be indisposed today, but Sirius here has kindly volunteered his services as your plus one."

"Did he do so of his own volition or did you rope him in?" Louisa teased.

"I may have asked him, but that doesn't mean he isn't thrilled to bask in your presence, isn't that right, Padfoot?"

He nudged Sirius, who for once in his life didn't know what to say. He was just staring at Louisa, watching as she smirked at him, her eyes full of casual contempt.

"Well, I couldn't leave you to go on your own," Sirius mumbled.

Louisa laughed. "I'm sure I'd be in great danger at a roller rink. Do you have a change of clothes?"

Sirius nodded. James blew a kiss and laughed. Berk.

"Good luck. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." James winked, then headed towards The Three Broomsticks.

Louisa checked her wristwatch- a Muggle model that was blue with a woven strap. It said Swatch on its face.

"Right, we have about twenty minutes. More than enough time to get prepared." Louisa declared as she grabbed Sirius's wrist.

"Prepared for what?" Sirius asked.

Louisa grinned. "The dance competition. Didn't James tell you?"

Before Sirius could protest, she lifted her wand. In a millisecond, they departed.

Sirius wobbled as he regained his balance. He still hated apparating. Brooms for him from here on out. Or maybe a nice motorbike.

They certainly weren't in magical Edinburgh, which was cleaner than the grimy streets they were standing in- though Sirius was certain from the graffiti, the overturned rubbish bins and the blokes staring at him while they smoked that maybe this wasn't the safest place for a young witch to spend her time.

Louisa pulled him forward. "Come on, let's get dressed. We'll barely have any time to register before they run out of skates."

Sirius found himself in the toilets, where he opened the clothes James packed. A button-down shirt with a flared collar, white trousers with wide fabric at the feet, and a bright blue waistcoat. He was going to look like an idiot! Grumbling, he quickly threw on the clothes, opening the buttons of the shirt and mussing up his hair. He looked at himself in the oxidized mirror. He supposed it would have to do.

Once he left, Louisa was standing outside, wearing nothing but a tight sequined jumpsuit with a large studded belt. She had left her hair down, her natural ringlets framing her heart-shaped face. Sirius almost thought he would have a fit. He'd never seen a witch wear such little clothing in public, though it seems the other Muggles in the rink were wearing much less.

Louisa bit her lip and stared at him admiringly. "You look fresh."

"Is that a good thing?" Sirius asked peevishly.

"Guess from the context," Louisa grinned. She handed him a pair of skates. "I took the liberty of guessing your size. If they don't fit, we can get another pair, but I can't promise they'll smell any better."

Sirius hesitantly grabbed the damp roller skates from her, and held back his urge to vomit. He looked around, and quickly cast a charm to mask the odor, and to clean the skates. It seems I'm the dim hazy light of the disco ball, the Muggles were lost in their own world.

Sirius slipped on the skates. He stood up. "These aren't so bad."

Promptly, he fell over.

Louisa laughed, and helped him up. "Hold onto me, we can go easy for the first few minutes until you get the hang of it."

As the skated onto the slippery rink, Sirius was entranced by the loud dreamy music, the undulating waves of moving bodies, and the smell of smoke. He gripped tightly to Louisa as they slowly skated around in circles, Louisa occasionally lifting his arm to twirl her for a perfunctory dance move.

"It's not about skill, the winners just have to last the longest." Louisa whispered

"Seems easy enough, it's just stamina" Sirius replied.

Louisa chuckled. "Famous last words of any man before finishing in two minutes."

Surprised, Sirius gave a bark of laughter.

As Sirius got the hang out it, he and Louisa tried more ambitious moves, like the hustle. She even grabbed his hands, and slid under his legs, lifting herself up on the other side and twirling around. They skated and waltzed, almost grateful for his mothers incessant dance instructions in his youth with a reluctant Kreacher.

While other couples fell, or ignored the competition altogether and started groping each other, they kept dancing. Sirius dipped her, letting their faces touch breifly as he held her in his arms, his hand on the small of her back. Her delicate rosy lips were parted, and in the dim light, her eyes were glinting gold. As he saw her chest rise and fall with her breath, he leaned in and kissed her.

She wrapped her arms around her neck and kissed him back. She was passionate, he could feel her tongue exploring his mouth and her left hand grabbing his hair.

"We have a winner! Congratulations to couple number twelve! Come up and collect your prize money!"

Sirius stopped, helping Louisa back on her feet.

"What number were we?" He asked.

She looked down at their name tags. "Fourteen. Though we were probably disqualified anyway for stopping."

They laughed, and headed out of the rink.

They stopped at a chip shop next door to grab dinner before heading back to the castle.

"Do you think they'll notice we're gone?" Louisa asked.

"Prongs will cover for us, and they assume by our year you'll have the sense not to sneak out during the middle of a war." Sirius replied, dipping his burnt chips into a small paper cup of ketchup. Muggle food was delicious and horrible at the same time, he loved it.

"Is almost forgotten about the war," Louisa said somberly. "Hogwarts is so cloistered from the outside world."

"It's easier when you don't know anyone involved," Sirius mumbled.

Louisa frowned. "I'd heard about your family. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." Sirius replied. "Do you fancy James?"

Louisa's eyes widened and she snorted in surprise. "Don't be gross."

"Gross?" Sirius quipped. "I'd say Prongs was an attractive specimen if I was the type to pine for him."

"You aren't? Because I've heard enough rumors about you and Remus…" Louisa teased.

Sirius waved his chips dismissively. "Don't deflect, answer the question, Lou."

Louisa bit her lip. "I like James as a friend. Really, daring him would be like dating my brother."

"Ouch," Sirius replied. "That's the worst thing you could say to a potential boyfriend."

"Well, there's no potential there," Louisa countered. She paused, thinking it over. "He really does remind me a lot of my brother. I miss him so much."

"Couldn't you apply for a Portkey visit during the hols?" Sirius asked.

"It's...complicated," Louisa replied. "I probably won't be able to see them again for a long time."

"Tell me about them," Sirius said.

Louisa gave a wistful smile. "Al's so very studious. Careful, methodical. But he's not a swot- he always has this dry wit and knows what to say to get me out of my moods."

"You have those too?" Sirius asked. He thought in his dark days that he was alone in feeling this way.

"I have my good days, and my bad ones. Al knows the difference and how to keep me sane. And Jamie knows how to make me laugh."

"Your brother's name is Jamie? As in James?"

Louisa nodded. "You can see my dilemma, can't you? I certainly don't want to cry out my brother's name during a passionate bout of lovemaking."

Sirius scrunched his face in disgust. "Ugh, too much information, thanks."

"Excuse you, I'm an independent woman in control of her body, you're just threatened of my sexuality." Louisa replied facetiously, flipping her hair.

"Well, I'm all for Women's Lib if it means more birds are willing to shag me." Sirius replied casually.

Sirius took out a packet of cigarettes he'd brought from his robes. He subtly retracted his wand and lit the cig under the table before placing it in his mouth.

Louisa looked at it in disgust.

"Where are my manners? You want some?"

"Do you know how bad for you those are? You're literally breathing tar and formaldehyde." Louisa chided.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "I thought you were cool. You sound like Evans."

Louisa pressed her lips together in a way that definitely reminded him of Evans when she was peeved. "I do not sound like her. I'm nothing like her."

"You both have red hair."

"But that's it! We're nothing alike though in personality, or in looks for that matter. She's gorgeous and has this hourglass figure, and I'm gangly and barely have tits."

"I think your tits are fine," Sirius remarked cheekily, only for Louisa to glare at him.

"Not helping. I don't know. I've heard so much about her, but it was different seeing her in person. She's so smart and capable and confident. But she's also so…"

"Annoying?" Sirius offered.

"Kind, and thoughtful, and so damn gorgeous! Honestly it's not fair." Louisa pouted, folding her arms across her chest.

"You're worried you can't live up to her standard because of James," Sirius guessed. "Because honestly he's put her on a pedestal, I doubt Lily could compete with herself." He took another drag of his cigarette.

Louisa shook her head. "No, it's not that. I just...wanted her to like me, so badly. And I tried. But no matter what I do, it seems like there's this wall of misunderstandings between us. I always try to joke about it, or do something nice, and she's misconstrued everything I've done. Now she thinks I'm bullying her, and that I'm some sort of idiot. My dorm hates me."

She rested her hands in her head in dejection.

"She probably started to judge you the second you started associating with us. Even though we've cleaned up our act, we did have a bit of a reputation," Sirius admitted.

"I'm sure Snape deserved it," Louisa dismissed. "And I thought she was on the outs with him anyway for being a Death Eater."

Sirius took another drag to hide his surprise. When did James have the time to tell her about Snivelly? And did he mention the incident from last year? Suddenly, he was beginning to feel a bit self-conscious.

"I don't think Sniv...Snape is a Death Eater, not while he's still at school." Sirius replied.

"Really? I thought your brother had already joined by now." Louisa replied, staring at him intently.

Sirius felt his blood run cold.

"How would you know that?" He hissed. "Are you one of them?"

She raised her left arm in irritation, as if that meant something. "No! My blood is as filthy as bog water to those types. But, word gets around."

"That certainly wouldn't have." Sirius replied. He ran his hand through his hair. His other hand was shaking as he extinguished his cigarette onto the paper plate.

"He's proud he's joined, he bragged about it to other students, and people talk," Louisa explained as Sirius felt himself spiraling. "But he's not gone yet."

"If he's joined already, he's a lost cause." Sirius muttered.

"He's just a child, Sirius. He doesn't know what he's getting into. And he's still your brother. You don't want to lose that, believe me. If you reach out to him, he'll know he can come to you if he changes his mind."

"You don't know anything about my brother, or about me." Sirius spat. "And joining the Death Eaters isn't something you can back out of like a game of gobstones. You don't know what you're trying to get involved in. Either way, he's as good as dead."

He stood up. "Let's go, I want to get out of this ridiculous outfit and back into my robes."

Louisa opened her mouth to continue talking, but Sirius walked out the shop and apparated away in anger. He entered the castle through the passage under the willow and headed straight for the dormitories, not bothering to see if she returned.

He stomped into the dorm and pulled off the shirt and waistcoat.

"Nice outfit, Padfoot, did you try out for Soul Train?" Peter jeered.

"Piss off!" Sirius shouted.

"How'd it go?" James asked.

"It was a bloody disaster." Sirius replied, angrily taking off the rest of his clothes. He opened his trunk and rummaged through for a clean set of robes. As he did, he spotted a beaten up stuffed Krup at the bottom. Regulus has given it to him as a gift before he had headed off to Hogwarts his first year. Sirius tried to hold back the tears, but he couldn't help himself.

Before he knew it, he was comforted by his friends as he explained what had happened.

"It wasn't right of her to interfere like that," James remarked as he held onto Sirius.

"Yeah, it was out of line," Peter agreed. "Who is she to dictate what you should do, she's a foreigner."

"I think that wasn't the point, Pete," Remus interrupted. "Do you know if it's true?"

"Why would she lie about that?" James asked.

"I'm not saying that, but if she heard it on the rumor mill, it could be false."

Sirius shook his head in dismay. "I believe it. My parents probably rushed him over to You-Know-Who the second I was disowned. Probably wanted to restore the family name as soon as possible."

"I'm so sorry, Padfoot," James said, holding him tightly.

Sirius grabbed his shoulder. "Don't be. You're my brother now, all of you are my real family."

"What about Louisa?" Remus asked.

Sirius sighed. "I'm sure she meant well, but I don't want to think about her now."

James and Remus looked at each other anxiously.

"But would you forgive her?" James asked.

"Probably. In time."

James was hesitant, before finally admitting what he had been trying to say, "That's reassuring. Because I asked her over to join us for Yule Holiday. My parents said yes."


	3. Chapter 3

Sirius tried to avoid Louisa after their disastrous date, the key word was 'tried,' however, Louisa was persistent.

She didn't press him about his brother at least, but she kept staring at him.

It had become unnerving.

"Are you going to say something, or would you prefer to take a photograph?" Sirius asked. They were sitting together in the library, and the others had pointedly ignored the situation, hoping it would resolve itself.

"Look at the time, we should be heading to that Prefect's meeting, right Remus?" James asked, feigning to check his watch.

"I think so," Remus nodded. "But we should drop our books off back at our room. Pete do you want to come with us?"

Peter jumped up eagerly. "Yes please. Though we should hurry before you're late!"

"Some friends you are!" Sirius shouted back, only to be hushed by Madam Pince.

As they sat in silence, Sirius slumped over the desk, brooding on how unfair the situation was.

"Perhaps I owe you an apology," Louisa mumbled.

"What is that? I think you need to enunciate, Lou." Sirius taunted.

"Oh shut up you posh wanker, I said I'm sorry. I tried to get involved in affairs that shouldn't have been my concern."

She looked around the library anxiously, then quietly cast "Muffliato."

Sirius hadn't heard of it before, but it seemed incredibly useful.

"But he is your only brother. It's important you two try to keep in touch," Louisa pleaded.

"I can't really do that if my parents disown me, now can I? And besides, he doesn't deserve it." Sirius growled.

"He's not a true believer, you know. If he's doing it to please your parents, he can still change his mind," Louisa persisted.

"I think...even if he could change his mind, he doesn't deserve my praise. He's made his choice, I'm not going to congratulate him for not being a terrible person. He can come to his senses on his own." Sirius replied firmly.

Louisa's eyes were wide and pleading. "But...he should know he's not alone in this, or he might do something drastic."

Sirius shook his head. "That is not my problem."

Louisa sighed. "If that is your choice, so be it. I hope we can put this behind us," she said somberly.

"We'll have to, if you're visiting for Yule. I'm certainly not getting kicked out of another home on your account." Sirius replied.

Louisa gasped. "No! That wasn't my intention at all. I just really wanted to meet Jamie's family."

"Jamie?" Sirius asked.

Louisa blushed. "Sorry, it slipped. Though he hasn't said anything about it yet. It just feels right, somehow."

Sirius was skeptical, but let it slide. "Are your parents fine with you spending the holiday without them?"

Louisa nodded. "They won't mind, they're preoccupied. And I'm personally grateful James offered. Otherwise I'd probably spend Christmas with Aberforth. I've been working in my spare time at the Hog's Head."

Sirius was surprised by that. "Where do you have the time?"

"Weekends, mostly. It's a way for me to make some spare pocket change, and I like Aberforth, he's a good sort of fellow. He has me tend the goats, and they're quite charming."

"And Dumbledore's agreed to let you work there?"

"On the condition I keep up with my studies, and I think I've done a good job so far," she beamed.

Sirius chuckled, "You're almost catching up to me."

Louisa playfully shoved him.

"When I surpass Evans, then I'll know I've made it," she laughed.

"She's not even the top student in our class. I think that honor goes to either James or Snivelly." Sirius replied.

"That's irrelevant," Louisa grinned wickedly. "I just want to knock her down a peg."

"Don't let James hear you talk like that," Sirius joked.

Louisa tossed her hair. "Oh please, it's just a bit of friendly competition. She's already Head Girl, so class position is meaningless at this point."

"I think some people would disagree with you on that," Sirius argued. He knew that even James did care about being top of the class, even if he didn't show it. If it wasn't pressure from his parents, then it was from his own impossible standards.

Louisa shrugged. "It isn't about standing, it's what you learn. Honestly, Houses, points, and all this school ritual is irrelevant once we get out into the real world. I'm fairly certain once I go home, my matriculation won't even matter for much."

Sirius felt she had a point there, so he let the matter stand.

—

Once exams were over, Sirius and the rest of the Marauders spent the evening sneaking up to the roof of the Astronomy tower. Louisa joined them shortly after, bring a bottle of Butterbeer. They watched the stars, and talked.

"Do you can't come to visit at all?" James asked, disappointed.

"Sorry Prongs, you know I can't. Full moon's on Christmas Day. I don't think I'll be able to recover in time before we have to head back." Remus apologized.

"And my mum hasn't been all that well lately," Peter added. "She's having better days, but her episodes have been more frequent."

James nodded. "Well, we'll miss you both. This year's going to be great. You'll really like it Lou, my parents go all out for Yule."

Louisa smiled. "I'd like that. My parents used to do the same. We'd have this big bash for all my aunts and cousins, and there would be loads of pudding. My Uncle George was fond of bringing over these Christmas crackers, but they'd be a bit more over the top than normal Wizard crackers. Once, I got an enchanted mini Welsh Green toy pop out of mine and fly around the room. My Uncle Charlie thought it was brilliant.

Sirius laughed. "Prank crackers, why didn't we think of that?"

James grinned. "I think my mum would kill me if we tried."

"I can't wait to meet your parents though," Louisa said. "I didn't even think it would be possible."

"They're going to love you," James added. "Though you're the first girl I've brought over, they're going to ask when's the wedding."

Louisa's face turned sour. The others laughed.

"I'm not really the marrying type of girl, Jamie," Louisa replied breezily.

"That's for me to decide, isn't it?" James asked playfully.

"I think you should hold off just yet," Louisa teased. "I've noticed Evans has been softening up to you since you two chaperoned the Hogsmeade weekend."

James lowered his head to try to hide his embarrassment. "Well, there was a situation where one of the younger students had gotten into some trouble, Lily and I handled it. It's our job."

"Oh, so it's Lily now?" Louisa ribbed. "You know, she talks about you all the time in the dorms."

James looked surprised. "Does she? What does she say?"

Louisa lifted up her head and pushed her shoulder back. She cleared her throat, and started to imitate Lily's northern accent. "Potter isn't so bad once he applies himself. Maybe Dumbledore wasn't off his rocker when he gave him the position. These past few months, he's been incredibly capable, and kind, and have you ever noticed he has the most excellent arse? You could bounce sickles off it."

They laughed.

"She did not say that!" James shouted, half astonished, half amused.

Louisa's eyes glinted. "It was implied. I bet she's trying very hard to admit to herself she wasn't wrong all this time and she's trying not to jump your bones."

"Oh stop it," James blushed.

"Well, you have matured a bit," Remus agreed.

"Who knew easing off on trying to impress her would grab her attention?" Peter added, laughing.

"Well whatever it is you're doing, keep at it," Louisa winked.

"Wouldn't you be jealous?" Sirius asked.

"Why should I be? I want Jamie to be happy." Louisa replied.

Sirius and James exchanged a look. They didn't really know where either stood with her. Sirius was still pushing for James to make a move on Louisa, but he was still hesitant.

"I'll keep trying on my end, though I think Lily is less inclined to listen to me, considering she hates me," Louisa added bitterly. "But I think she'll come around. We just have to get you two to spend more time together."

—

When the term ended, they boarded the train back to London. There was less fanfare for the Yule exeunts than summer, so no threstal carriage ride. The train itself was pleasant, but no one had the spirit for adventure this time around. There wasn't even a halfhearted suggestion to sneak off the train and bother the trolley witch. (After last time, she never visited their compartment again, and Sirius was grateful for it.) Remus and Peter made their farewells once they disembarked off the platform, and they said hello to Remus's parents and Peter's mother.

The three of them carried their trunks discretely to the Apparition point for King's Cross (by the rubbish bins) and headed for the Potter family estate, Potter's Bluff. James held Louisa's hand as she Side-Alonged with him.

Every time Sirius saw the spacious rambling white mansion with a tiled roof and vines covering its walls, he felt as if he was home. Sirius could hear the roar of the grey blue sea on this uncommonly warm day, and the wind blew against their faces as he could smell the salty air and the exotic flowers from the potions garden.

James's parents were already standing outside, waving at them.

James dropped his trunk and rushed over to hug them, his arm wrapping tightly around his small elderly mother, and his thin, frail father.

"Mum, Dad! It's so good to see you. But you didn't have to wait out here for us!"

"Your father's been wanting to see you the second you arrived, and so did I to be frank," James's mother smiled. "Sirius, have you been getting my boy into too much trouble?"

"Nothing he wouldn't have gotten himself into anyway," Sirius grinned.

James's mother gave a smirk. "That's all I can hope for, I suppose. Though you think you'd have more to worry about as Head Boy."

James sighed. "It's extraordinarily dull, Mum. You should know, you were Head Girl."

She chuckled. "It seems some things never change. And this must be Louisa."

Louisa had stepped back, looking self-conscious. "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Potter, it's so nice to meet you."

James's father waved her over. "No need for formalities, my dear. Call me Monty, and you can call my beloved wife Effie. Please come over here and let us get a good look at you. My eyes aren't what they used to be."

Anxiously, Louisa walked up to the front porch and stepped in front of Monty, gingerly offering her hand to shake his. He eagerly took it, and Sirius noticed her surprise at his firm grip. Monty was tougher than he let on.

"Extraordinary," he whispered. They had stared briefly at each other, before Louisa looked away. There was a glint in Monty's eyes, which until now, Sirius had never really noticed before were the same color as Louisa's.

"Excuse me?" Louisa asked.

"I was about to remark how you look strikingly similar to a friend of ours, Muriel Prewett, isn't that right, Effie?"

Effie looked peevish, but glanced at Louisa. "My, it is uncanny. I remembered her at her debut and you could be mistaken for twins."

Louisa shook her head. "I just have one of those faces."

"Are you related to the Prewetts by any chance?" Monty asked.

"Doubtful," Louisa replied, "Both my parents were Muggleborn."

Monty and Effie exchanged a look of doubt, and asked their House Elf to take in the trunks.

The matter was dropped, and they had a great time at the Bluff. James and Sirius spent the break devising ideas for a last hurrah, a prank to end the year on. And Louisa seemed taken in with the Potters. She asked them incessant questions about the house, about themselves, and even family members.

Happy to oblige, Monty brought out the photo albums, and Effie was house proud enough to give a tour of every nook and cranny from the greenhouses, to the hidden passageways that led to the catacombs.

After Louisa recounted her afternoon to the two of them, the idea of the prank was set aside to go exploring the Bluff's hidden mysteries with Euphemia.

It led to a few battles with poltergeists in the silver room, and they got to participate in an exorcism.

Euphemia talked them through the steps, her Blackthorn wand ready for any misstep. "Now, proper exorcisms must be conducted by a low level Cursebreaker, but that's just a scam set up by Gringotts. If you can do them yourself, it's a useful skill. I know, I made my way through my twenties freelancing it."

Fleamont was just as eager to talk with Louisa, but both of them bonded over music. Monty was fond of tinkering with record players and radios in his free time, and when he found out Louisa was proficient in the piano he had her play away. Though it seems he was more likely to ask her to play for himself rather than his experiments.

"I'm afraid wizard composers haven't been able to match the beauty of their Muggle counterparts. There is nothing in our catalogue that comes close to Beethoven."

"Oh, I adore Beethoven!" Louisa agreed, hopping onto the piano. Though I'm also partial to Debussy."

Monty chuckled. "I met Debussy at a party once. He was quite a character."

Louisa decided to play Clair de Lune, and Sirius lingered outside the study, listening to the music. He transformed into Padfoot and listened outside the door.

Monty recalled his life traveling the world, studying under Potions Masters in Paris, Lima, Calcutta, Saigon, Melbourne and Bamako before coming back to London and starting his own business.

"All my life, I'd wanted to find a way to tame this mess," Monty indicated to the little remaining messy gift of hair on his head. "You must understand, there was more of it then. Well, there was nothing that was available at the time, anywhere. So I had to make my own."

"Why Sleakeasy's?" Louisa asked. "Why not use your own name?"

Monty shrugged. "It's a fun name, and it gets to the point. Plus, no one would want to buy a potion called Fleamont Potter's Hair Tonic, it sounds most unpleasant. Marketing is everything, my dear."

"Had you met Effie by then?" Louisa asked.

Monty stumbled, and Louisa helped him regain his balance. "Effie and I hadn't met until we were older. She was in her late forties and I was in my sixties. By then I had established the business, but sales had been stagnant. Effie was brought in for restructuring. She was blunt, as she is, and told me some truths about my work/life balance I hadn't wanted to admit. But she was right. Shortly after, we grew to understand each other, and care for each other as friends. It was about five years later when she popped the question, and I said yes."

Louisa sighed. "That's so romantic."

"Hardly so, my dear. It was very pragmatic. We enjoyed each other's company."

"And James?" Louisa asked.

"James was a blessing." Monty replied.

There was a pause.

"What is your relationship to James exactly?"

"Oh, Jamie and I are just friends. He is the dearest friend one could ask for," Louisa gushed.

"I'm sure of it. But, are you certain nothing else will happen between you two?" Monty asked.

"Do you not approve of me, sir?" Louisa asked in annoyance.

"Far from it! However, it is odd you were able to pass the blood wards of our house, since we hadn't had time to dismantle them before your arrival."

Louisa was silent. She coughed, and then asked, "What about Sirius?"

"After we formally adopted him, his magical signature was added to the ward structure. Yours however, was not. No stranger would have been allowed past the front door to the house, let alone my study."

"But, you knew I was arriving at your house." Louisa replied feebly.

"My fault I'm afraid. I've been getting on in years, but I was quite surprised when I found it wasn't a problem. Now, I must ask you, are you sure you aren't Muriel Prewett's daughter?"

"No!" Louisa protested. "I'm no one's daughter."

"Well, that's impossible, but would you humor me? I would like to take a blood test. I...had a varied past in my youth, and if you are related to me, it would be in your best interest to find out, as well as James's."

"And if I refuse?" Louisa asked.

"Well, we do have samples of your saliva from the teacups, but that's hardly accurate."

Sirius was listening intently to the conversation. Could Louisa be James's sister?

Louisa gave a huff. "Fine."

Sirius heard Monty cast a charm to cut Louisa's finger as he took a sample of blood.

"Thank you for humoring an old man," Monty replied.

"Are there others? James isn't an only child?"

Monty coughed. "Yes. I've never told him, but I do have a few illegitimate children, though I've been able to track most of them, some slip through the cracks."

"Could you give me their names? I'd like to get in touch with them." Louisa asked.

Monty relented, as Sirius could hear the sound of paper rustling. "Most of them are much older than you are, and they don't want anything to do with me, but if you have any luck, then by all means."

Louisa thanked him, and headed out the study. As she closed the door, she stared directly at Padfoot. "Did you hear all of that?" She asked.

Embarrassed, Padfoot lowered his head and whimpered.

"We can't tell James. It would crush him. Plus, this could all lead to nothing." Louisa begged.

Sirius was unsure why she was addressing him in his dog form.

"I know, Sirius. You can transform back."

Sirius was stunned, but transformed immediately. "Did James tell you?" He asked.

Louisa shook her head. "I figured it out on my own, around the time I figured out about Remus. You lot are incredibly obvious."

"So what does this mean for you and James?" Sirius asked.

"Same as usual," Louisa replied.

—-

Yule passed cheerfully for the Potters. Effie went all out with a roast peacock, a wild boar, and plenty of roasted vegetables. The house was filled with Christmas trees covered in magical floating lights, and there was a gingerbread castle as the centerpiece shaped like Hogwarts.

As they finished their Christmas pudding with brandy sauce, they discussed the upcoming term, Quidditch, and the war.

"Ten more deaths over the holidays, I guess You-Know-Who doesn't rest," Monty remarked.

"It seems he's tossing subtlety out the window," Effie agreed. "I heard one of them was in the shadow cabinet."

"Perhaps this will convince the government he's not just a threat to Muggleborns and those they consider Blood-traitors and actually call him a terrorist," James chimed in.

"They'll never do that," Sirius replied. "They wouldn't want to upset those in higher places who support him."

Monty laughed. "That's a very myopic view you have, Sirius, but I suppose it's deserved."

As they finished dinner, they stayed up singing Yuletide songs. They'd already completed their solstice rites the day before yesterday, so Yule was a happier affair.

Monty and Effie retired when the grandfather clock chimed midnight.

"Don't stay up too late," Effie warned.

Sirius, James and Louisa waved them goodnight, and watched as they climbed the stairs.

Louisa turned to the boys. "Let's go out to the seaside. The moon looks beautiful and it'd be nice to take a dip."

"At midnight? It'll be freezing!" James protested.

"Warming charms, you bellend," Louisa teased. She stood up. "Come on!"

They snuck out of the house and headed down the dune towards the shore. As the waves crashed in the night, Louisa ran to the sea, laughing.

James turned to Sirius, and they followed her.

Louisa splashed her feet into the water and kicked it towards them. James leaned down and splashed her.

James turned, and splashed Sirius. Soon enough, they were flinging their clothes into the sand and were down to their pants and knickers.

Louisa swam further out into the sea, and they joined her. They swam as the waves crashed onto their bodies. When one large wave crashed against them, Sirius grabbed onto Louisa, gripping her small frame against him.

As Sirius caught her face in the moonlight, her eyes met his, and they felt that electric attraction. Overwhelmed, Sirius leaned forward and kissed her. To his surprise, Louisa kissed back.

James of course, splashed them both.

Once they had their fun, they quickly jumped out of the water, teeth chattering and cast warning charms. They spent in evening lying in the sand, talking as they watched the moon drift down the horizon.

As they snuck back into the house, the stars were beginning to dim. They quietly crept up the stairs, to their separate rooms.

"I'm glad we did this," Sirius whispered as he gave Louisa a kiss outside her room.

"You know," Louisa murmured, "it doesn't have to end here."

"Are you sure?" Sirius asked.

"Never been more sure of anything else," Louisa replied as she pulled him into her room.


	4. Chapter 4

Sirius remembered when Louisa left, because it seems everyone else had forgotten.

It was the week before NEWTs, and they were not as anxious as they could have been. Sirius has been accepted into the Auror academy, they were a formality. Remus has a job lined up, and James was planning on taking a break after school. Peter of course, was a wreck, but it was funny enough to watch him panic.

James had finally won Lily's heart after their efforts to organize the students during a series of vandalism attacks, and they had had learned to respect each other's strengths and acknowledge their weaknesses. They had been seeing each other for about four months now, but James was thinking of popping the question after graduation.

As for Sirius, he hadn't known where he stood with Louisa. One minute, she would be loving and affectionate, the next she would be distant.

They would sneak out to various parts of the castle to fool around, and then she would get emotional and start crying.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Sirius asked huskily as he wrapped her in his arm for a kiss.

Louisa sniffed. "I don't want this to end! I can't...I can't leave you Sirius, I love you."

"And I love you too, Louisa. And this doesn't have to end after we matriculate, we can still be together." Sirius replied, nibbling her neck.

Louisa stiffened. "Sirius...I might have to go back after all, sooner than I expected."

Sirius stopped. "Back where? To Hong Kong?"

"Back home," Louisa clarified. She bit her lip and looked away. "There's so much I want to tell you, but I can't. But look after Jamie for me. And don't let Remus put himself through too much on his own. Oh! And be careful with Peter. I don't think he's beyond helping, but he shouldn't have to put himself in danger to please you."

"What are you talking about?" Sirius mumbled. "And why would you say that about my friends? Of course I'll help Remus, and why would you talk about Pete like that? You know him as well as I do."

Louisa's eyes widened. "Perhaps I said too much."

She pushed Sirius away and skunk out of the alcove they were hiding in.

"It's not important, let's just worry about NEWTs for now." Louisa mumbled.

Sirius ran after her, and grabbed her wrist. "We're not done talking about this. We can find a way to stay together, even if you go back to Hong Kong. I'll write, or I can visit."

Louisa gave a sad smile, but didn't reply as they walked back to Gryffindor tower.

—-

On May 25th, 1978, Louisa Pruitt disappeared.

It was a sunny day, the eerie glow of morning made it abundantly clear around 7 o'clock that she was not in her bed when Lily went to check on her.

A schoolwide search was conducted, but nothing was found. Shortly afterwards, an owl was sent to Professor McGonnagall from the missing student herself declaring that she formally withdrew from Hogwarts and had returned earlier than expected to take her exams in her homeland. The search was promptly dropped and the authorities were sent away

Sirius was inconsolable when he had found out. Was it really so easy to leave him, to leave all of them, without even a goodbye? James had comforted him the best he could, but even he had to hide his tears. Lily, while she had never been on the best terms with Louisa, also became a sympathetic ear.

Sirius could barely focus during exams, but the adrenaline of the tests kept him sane as he didn't have time to think of Louisa. And as they left Hogwarts, he and his friends jumped straight into the war.

Fighting, working, and trying not to die was all that occupied his mind for the next four years.

Until that night in October, when it didn't.


End file.
